With just a few days to go until National champion Cory departs on its six-date tour of the USA, the players and MD Philip Harper were joined in rehearsal by six members of the band's historic tour to America in 1976.

Bi-centennial celebrations

Gwyn Thomas, Graham Sheppard, Clayton McCann, Jeff Sheppard, Terry Lambert and Greg Jones were all part of the band that performed as part of the bi-centennial celebration 40 years ago, with Graham showing the current players the busy itinerary and copies of the extensive music programmes they played.

He also described the pride and excitement felt by Cory players as they represented Wales in what was a world-wide celebration for the American people.

2016 tour

Cory's 2016 adventure will begin this Friday (12th Feb) with the band flying from Heathrow to Washington, on a tour taking in Delaware, New Jersey, Virginia and North and South Carolina.

The band will perform three concerts billed as 'Best of British' and three entitled 'A Space Odyssey' as well as giving masterclasses, clinics and working with host bands in the USA.

Remarkable

Musical Director Philip Harper told 4BR: "It was great to welcome representatives of the last tour to our bandroom in the same week that the current tour begins.

It's remarkable that Cory hasn't been back to the USA in 40 years, but we can't wait to take our brand of entertainment across the pond to make another historic mark."